THE BONE DOCTOR
It took three days, but I've finally recovered from seeing Dr. Tien, the Chinese Bone Doctor. My upper back is still sore from him setting his sharp elbow just left of my spine and then putting his entire body weight into it. And my neck is still sore from the doctor putting me in a tight head lock, then yanking my noggin around so that momentarily I resembled Linda Blair. Snap, crackle, POP! Then, ooooooohhhh, DiZzY hEaD.
I don't know how or when Dr. Tien landed in L.A., but he's one of only about ten people left practicing this ancient Taoist healing art, and I'm one of his lucky patients. The Bone Doctor only speaks a couple of words in English: hurted, pain, relax, and okay. Imagine my surprise as he was inflicting his unique brand of pain and I had to let out a moan to ease the torment, when Dr. Tien said "No pain, no gain!!" Then he laughed. I laughed too. It was better than crying like a baby.
During the hour that I spent on the doctors table, he cracked my back 6 times, yanked my arms until my shoulders popped, snapped my elbows, twisted my wrists, and pulled each finger until it popped out and back in again. After all, he is a Bone Doctor. He dug his fingers into my arms from the armpit to the elbow, feeling along the bone and then inserted his finger into the soft, tender funny bone spot which made my entire being TWANG itself off the table. He did this maneuver randomly about 4 or 5 times. Owww.
The Bone Doctor uses his strong fingers to penetrate resistant bones, muscles and flesh. He found an "in" at the base of my skull and pressed so hard that my body temperature immediately shot up and I began to perspire madly. He inserted a finger so deep into my tummy that I thought it would come out the other side. He pulled it out with a grunt while staring deeply into my eyes. He did this on my breastplate and just below my neck too. He pummelled my shoulders and temples with his fists. He stuck his fingers in my ears and pushed them into my brain, then yanked them out as if they had touched a demon. He scratched through my hair like a crazy animal, held my head tightly, and threw off invisible baggage, freeing up my CHI from identities and conditioning that do not serve me and my life.
I finally arose from the table, and faced the Chinese Bone Doctor standing there in his khakis and yellow polo-style shirt. He put his hands together and bowed slightly, honoring me. I looked him straight in the eye. He smiled.
I left, and my thoughts kept landing on the aspect of human nature: COURAGE. I knew that the Chinese Bone Doctor had given me a deep healing. I feel cool, calm, collected, and very courageous.
